European judges have tonight thwarted the Home Office’s plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda at the 11th hour as their ruling left Home Secretary Priti Patel’s flagship policy in tatters.
An out-of-hours European Court of Human Rights judge made the dramatic 11th hour intervention, informing the crew that the Boeing 767 could not take off as scheduled as the runway lights at MOD Boscombe Down, Salisbury were switched off shortly before the clock ticked down to 10.30pm.
Although it was widely reported just seven migrants were due to be removed from the United Kingdom on Tuesday, defiant ministers had earlier insisted the flight would go ahead even if there is only one person on board,
But in a late twist, all asylum seekers due to be removed on tonight’s first plane to the capital of Kigali disembarked from the plane ahead of departure, meaning the flight will no longer depart as expected.
An out-of-hours judge had been reviewing the remaining cases on papers, with Home Office…
